ASLA 2017 ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPO
LEADING THE CHARGE FOR CHANGE // THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT’S ROLE IN CLIMATE CHANGE FRI-DO9
Landscape architects are uniquely qualified to process complex, multi-disciplinary challenges that contribute sustainable, world- changing solutions. As humanity becomes increasingly aware of the reality of climate change, now is the time for the profession of landscape architecture to unite, harness our expertise, and make a climate positive impact on the world.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Understand the importance of our role as landscape architects in mitigation of climate change
• Learn about implementable climate change mitigation strategies
• How we can strengthen our collective voice and expertise.
• Explore how to set metrics for tracking climate positive impacts on projects and practice
1 ASLA LA 2017 SPEAKERS
MARTHA SCHWARTZ DSc, FASLA, Hon FRIBA, Hon RDI, RAAR
Principal of Martha Schwartz Partners, Ms. Schwartz has over 35-years of experience as a landscape architect, urbanist and artist on a wide variety of projects around the world with a variety of world-renowned architects. Ms. Schwartz is a tenured Professor in Practice of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and a founding member of the Working Group of Sustainable Cities at Harvard University. The recipient of numerous awards and prizes, she has lectured extensively about sustainable cities and the urban landscape, and her work has been featured widely in international publications and gallery exhibitions.
PAMELA CONRAD ASLA, RLA, LEED AP
Associate at CMG Landscape Architecture in San Francisco, Ms. Conrad has 14 years of experience as a landscape architect, primarily focused on sustainable, urban, public open space projects both in the US and abroad. With a background in Plant Science, a master’s degree focused on regenerative design, and professional experience restoring hydrological habitats in the USACE, Pamela brings an ecologically sensitive approach to her work. She is currently the project manager of some of the largest environmentally innovative projects around the Bay including the redevelopment of Treasure Island, San Francisco’s Seawall and Resiliency Project and the Resilient by Design Competition.
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GLOBAL WARMING // CAUSES / TIPPING POINTS / TIME-FRAME / RAMIFICATIONS
1. Understanding the Causes
The primary cause of climate change is increasing concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The 2007 Assessment Report by the IPCC indicates that GHG emissions increased by 70 percent between 1970 and 2004. These gases are primarily emitted as a result of human behavior, such as the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy. ASLA
2. Understanding What Are the Tipping Points?
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 formally recognized the “long term goal” of the convention was to hold the increase in global average warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
3. Time Frame
“Today, model-based simulations, optimistically assuming that nations fulfill their commitments for future emissions reductions, project global average temperature to increase to 3–4 °C above its preindustrial level by 2100, a level that is likely to merit active (geo-engineering) intervention.” Paul Crutzen
The IPCC projects that the Earth’s surface temperature could rise by as much as 4 °C within the next century.
Foreseeable cuts in CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions will not quickly and sufficiently forestall climate disruption and associated suffering.” Paul Crutzen
“Addressing, slowing or arresting emission is necessary, but insufficient. If you are traveling down the wrong road, you are still on the wrong road if you slow down.” Paul Hawken
4. Ramifications
IF left unchecked, global warming will have devastating effects. According to the IPCC, the projected sea level rise could reach 19-23 inches by the year 2100. Additional impacts could include increased spread of diseases; extensive species extinction; drought and wildfires; mass human, animal and plant migrations; and resource wars over shrinking amounts of potable water. ASLA
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GLOBAL WARMING // MESSAGING - HOW DOES THIS AFFECT PEOPLE (US) WHEN WE HEAR THIS?
Environmentalist and activist, Paul Hawken, believes that to motivate action on climate change, the focus needs to be on solutions rather than the problems. He believes those solutions are already here.
WHAT WE AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS CAN DO ABOUT IT// LEARN
Understand Terminology
1. The difference between Global Warming and Climate Change • Global warming refers only to the Earth’s rising surface temperature. • Climate change includes warming and the “side effects” of warming.
2. The differences between resilience, adaptation and mitigation • Mitigation deals with the causes of climate change. • Adaptation makes changes to prepare for and ameliorate the effects of climate change. • Resilience by adapting to cope with the effects of climate change, communities, enterprises and institutions can build up their climate change resilience.
3. Why MITIGATION and what can we do?
• Based on scientific evidence, even if we go to 0-Carbon today, the earth will continue on a trajectory that will heat up beyond the 2 degree “Tipping Point” after which there may not be any way to cool the temperature. • Increase our awareness of what is happening regarding GLOBAL WARMING so we can teach others and be more effective in our individual lines of pursuit within the profession. • Empower ourselves as a group of practitioners as well as individuals so we can act and contribute in tackling “the biggest challenge of our time.” • Read “DRAWDOWN”, a book edited by Paul Hawken, that is based on research done by a large team of scientists and scholars since 2013 which defines 100 SOLUTIONS to MITIGATE GLOBAL WARMING
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WHAT WE AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS CAN DO ABOUT IT// READ “PROJECT DRAWDOWN”
PROJECT “DRAWDOWN” // MITIGATION STRATEGIES
‘DRAWDOWN” is a book edited by Paul Hawken which lists the top 100 solutions that can be implemented and scaled up in order to drawdown CO2 from the atmosphere. In this book you will learn about the most powerful LAND-BASED SOLUTIONS for MITIGATION and what we CAN do as landscape architects
1. Project Drawdown is an organization founded by environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, and activist – Paul Hawken.
2. Hawken founded the organization with the mission of researching and promoting a path to drawdown, the point at which the con- centration of greenhouse gases begins to decline.
3. Project Drawdown has produced a comprehensive plan recently available by book and website developed by over 70 research experts around the world.
4. It lists 80 viable solutions that are in practice now that can be scaled up, and 20 future solutions (with about 5,000 references) that have the greatest potential to reduce emissions or sequester CO2 from the atmosphere over the next 30 years (2030-2050).
5. One of the most important aspect of this book is that the goal was not only to identify different solutions but to do “detailed ana- lytics” that produced metrics which measured how many gigatons (GT) of CO2 were sequestered as well as costs and financial benefits a solution produces. Hawken’s measurements of CO2 created the ranking of effectiveness.
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6. In order to try to conceive of how much a gigaton(GT) is, Chad Frischman has us to imagine 1 gigaton as 400,000 Olympic sized swimming pools. 36 gigatons of CO2 was produced in 2016 which multiplies out to 14, 400,000 Olympic sized swimming pools of CO2. By 2050, going as we are going now, we will be putting 1,080 GT (30 years x 36 GT) into the atmosphere. IF we were to implement the 80 measurable solutions suggested by Hawken, we would be able to sequester 1051.01 GT of CO2
Our talk focuses on the importance our natural landscape eco- systems is in enabling our ability to DRAWDOWN CO2.In order 1,080 GT CO2 will be produced by 2050 to do this, we need to advocate for and to protect our natural 1 GT CO2 = 400,000 Olympic sized environments, as well as implement other multiple land-based swimming pools solutions, that we, as landscape architects, can use in our daily practices.
WHAT WE AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS CAN DO ABOUT IT// LEARN ABOUT LANDSCAPE-BASED MITIGATION STRATEGIES
PROJECT “DRAWDOWN” // MITIGATION
FORESTS IN GENERAL
30% of the world’s forestland has been completely cleared / another 20% degraded.
Stopping all deforestation and restoring forest resources could offset up to 1/3 of all carbon emissions worldwide.
WHAT FORESTS CAN DO FOR A CITY
Mitigate Urban Heat Island Effect through casting shade, therefore bringing down cost of energy for air-conditioning (air conditioning refrigerants are the #1 culprit in adding CO2 to the atmosphere).
Uptake rainwater thereby reducing fresh water from entering sewer systems.
Allows water to percolate through soils and replenish aquifers for drinking water.
Create habitat
Can create an economy
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If planted in correct position to buildings, can help to insulate by reducing the force of wind in the winter, and saving energy for heat- ing, take up water in heavy / severe rainfall, hold down soil so topsoil is not lost in severe rainfall, reduce pollution by capturing small and large particulates, capture greenhouse gases such as CO2, ozone, nitrogen, improve air quality by production of O2 and provide habitat for plants and animals.
They make streets more attractive, which in turn add value to adja- cent real estate, create a healthier mental state by making a needed connection to green.
Capture CO2 and other GHG
Help to clean air of particulates
OF THE 15 SOLUTIONS 6 ARE LANDSCAPE-BASED = 166.81 GT
TOP 15 SOLUTIONS = 689.68 GT The TOP 15 SOLUTIONS are the most effective group as the remaining 65 SOLUTIONS drawdown, on the average, 13.06 GT
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PROJECT “DRAWDOWN” // MITIGATION
TOP 5 LANDSCAPE BASED SOLUTIONS
1. Tropical Forests #5 61.23 GT
Once covered 12% of world’s landmass/ now 5% “Without question, the Amazon is the greatest single natural resource in the world.” Highest amount of carbon uptake/ greatest amount of uncertainty Uptake 11% of annual global GHG
2. Regenerative Ag / Landscapes #11 23.15 GT
Restore degraded soil by restoring its carbon content which improves plant health, nutrition and productivity. Restore soils’ microbial life, soil texture, root growth, water retention is increased, nourish plants which are more pest resistant and fertility compounds so no fertilizers are needed.
3. Temperate Forests #12 22.61 GT
Continued to be fragmented by development Global warming is creating more pressure on temperate forests through severe wildfires, worsening insect outbreaks. Compounded these disturbances can push temperate forests beyond their capacity for resilience.
4. Peatlands #13 21.57 GT
Even though they cover only 3% of the earth’s surface they are only second to the oceans in the amount of carbon they store- twice that is held by the world’s forests. They develop over hundreds to thousands of years
5. Tropical Staple Trees #14 20.19 GT
Perennials: suited to a wider range of soil Create higher infiltration rate for rainwater Reverse erosion Require lees fuel, fertilizer and pesticides Not as delicate as annuals More resilient and can adapt to droughts Provide food for poorer countries
TOTAL 148.75 GT TOP 15 SOLUTIONS = 689.68 GT or 65% of total DRAWDOWN TOP 5 LAND-BASED SOLUTIONS = 14% of total DRAWDOWN 8 ASLA LA 2017 LEADING THE CHARGE FOR CHANGE
10 SOLUTIONS WE CAN BEGIN IMPLEMENTING TODAY
1. Afforestation #15 18.06 GT
Afforestation = Planting trees where none before or that have been treeless for over 50 years. Estimates are that afforestation could drawdown 1-3 GT of CO2 / year by 2030 Can create indigenous authentic forests Can be done on large or small tracts of land Entrepreneur Shubhendu Sharma’s company ‘Afforest’ creates forests on any patch of land. In an area the size of 6 parking spaces, a 300-tree forest can come to life for the cost of an iPhone.
2. Bamboo #35 7.22 GT
Rapidly sequesters carbon in biomass and soil, taking it out of the air faster than almost any other plant. Because bamboo is a grass it contains silica structures that resist degradation and allow the carbon they store in the soil to remain for thousands of years. Can thrive on inhospitable lands
3. Alternative Cement #36 6.69 GT
1 ton of cement = burning 400lbs of coal Use of slag or fly ash (now exploring use of glass) can be substituted for conventional clinker thereby eliminating carbon - emitting step of cement production
4. Perennial Biomass #51 3.33 GT
Comprises 2% of the power sector An alternative to corn produced ethanol Perennial bioenergy crops can be different Cultivate appropriately they can reduce emissions by 85% compared to corn ethanol
5. Coastal Wetlands #52 3.19GT
First line of defense against storm surges and floodwater Boosts water quality Can store 5x amount of CO2 than tropical forests Can be helped through wetlands restoration, removal of infrastructure, planning to allow wetlands room to roam as sea level rises.
6. Recycling/ Material Reuse #56 2.77GT
Construction sites are generators of waste. Re-use on site. Use materials in your projects made from recycled materials.
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7. Walkable Cities #54 2.92 GT
40% of urban car trips are less than 2 miles, many could be made by bike. Lanes separated from cars makes bike travel safer and more efficient. Bike travel should be viewed as “infrastructure”. According to the ULI, in compact developments ripe for walking, people drive 20-40% less. It must be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting.
8. Bike / Electric Bike Infra-Structure #59 10.81 GT
The bicycle can be the most efficient, self-powered means of transportation ever invented. Rob Penn Needs a “reasonable surface” aka proper infra-structure Disincentivizing car ownership helps to increase ridership. Bike sharing increases ridership. “Green Wave” in Copenhagen - traffic lights along main roads synchronize for speed for long stretches. Dependent on the creation of safe, pleasant, effective environments in which to ride
9. Biochar #72 0.81 GT
By putting biomass through the process of pyrolysis, greenhouse gases are trapped in a form of charcoal called Biochar. This material can hold carbon into the soil for centuries. Experts debate that biochar could sequester billions of tons of CO2 per year in addition to averting emissions from organic waste. Consider incorporating into your projects. If you have a project with a decent volume of biomass, consider donating / selling it to a biochar manufacturer.
10. Green Roofs / Cool Roofs #73 0.77 GT
Green Roof Can reduce the energy used for cooling on the floor below a living roof by 50% Can sequester carbon in soil and biomass / filter air pollutants / reduce rainwater runoff, support biodiversity and reduce urban heat island effect Cool Roof Reflect 80% of the solar energy vs 5% for dark roof Reduce energy needed to cool buildings Reduce urban heat island effect Cheaper and simpler than green roofs
TOP 10 USEABLE SOLUTIONS = 56.57 GT 5% OF TOTAL DRAWDOWN TOTAL OF ALL 15 LAND-BASED SOLUTIONS = 205.32 GT 20% OF TOTAL DRAWDOWN 10 ASLA LA 2017 LEADING THE CHARGE FOR CHANGE
HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF DESIGN SPRING STUDIO 2017 IN CONJUNCTION WITH HARVARD FOREST SEQUESTROPOLIS // THE CITY AS A MACHINE FOR COMBATING GLOBAL WARMING
Students: STUDIO OBJECTIVE AND GOALS Emily Allen Gandong Cai Our studio objective was to integrate forests into an urban Hannah Cusick environment that can be effective in tackling global warming at Crystal Dai an urban scale, to reduce the urban heat island effect, capture Louise Roland as much CO2 as possible and ultimately work in a symbiotic AJ Sus fashion with the built environment so as to allow cities to adapt to Yujia Wang a changing environment.
The questions posed to the students is: how can investment in a natural system that functions ecologically and works in a symbiosis with the built environment be integrated into our cities so to provide the benefits we need to survive a warming earth?
COLLABORATION WITH HARVARD FOREST BACKGROUND
This studio has worked in conjunction with Harvard Forest in western Massachusetts. Harvard Forest has produced a study entitled “Changes to the Land,” 2005, which studied the multiple benefits of reforestation and afforestation within the entire state of MA. The studio will be using the scenario “Forest As Infrastructure” scenario to set our goals and parameters. The only areas not studied within Massachusetts were the urban areas. Our studio focused on an urban area to see if we could apply the same goals as ‘Changes to the Land’ and measure their benefits.
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AREA OF STUDY
890,000 population 108 Sq Miles 4 Townships : Boston, East Boston, Somerville, Cambridge
LIST OF ASSUMPTIONS
The class created a collective and consistent “palette” of ASSUMPTIONS that would enable the students to quantify their designs in terms of CO2 and storm water captured as well as financial savings on energy use.
ASSUMPTIONS
No new building beyond I-95 ring highway No “personal car zone” in inner city Build a sea-wall to save downtown Boston Chosen palette of water management devices and regulations Common material palette of permeable surfaces List of trees of high value that will be adaptable to new climate zone 7 Planting of 2-6 trees in privately owned zones Automated cars will be used entirely Metrics for each township will be produced based upon these assumptions through using i-Tree
(Contact for more information about i-Tree: David Bloniarz: [email protected])
AFFORESTATION OF BOSTON
The studio task was to extend the goal of Harvard Forest’s scenarios to maximize forestation. Afforestation of Boston was our primary agenda. The class studied how to increase sequestration of CO2, water-management and heat-reduction through the study of biological techniques and technical inventions such as biochar, soil absorption and biomass energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), water capture and retention technologies, permeable surfaces and greening / whitening roof technologies. The goals afforestation and technologies were to:
• Provide water management • Reduce island heat load • Reduce energy consumption • Provide habitat for plant and animal communities • Make cities readier to deal with the consequences of global warming • Make future cities more livable • Capture runoff • Replenish the aquifers and reservoirs
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SHOW ME THE SPACE!
The major challenge for the students was to find enough space within the city so that the afforestation can be done at a scale that would have a meaningful impact on sequestering CO2 as well meeting our other objectives.
To find more open space within the city, the studio investigated likely future transport systems and technologies such as automat- ed cars used as private and public transport. The studio found that automated cars will use significantly less space, thereby creating Ellen Oettinger White a tremendous amount of available space in the public realm of already dense cities that could be used for afforestation.
ALL OF BOSTON??
4 Townships of Greater Boston, including Boston, East Boston, Somerville and Cambridge, with a total of 108 square miles, and a population of 890,000 were studied. The findings were translated into metrics which measured: • sequestration of CO2 and ozone • water capture • amount of uptake of storm run-off • capture of large aerial particulates • energy saved through cooling by trees and increase of albedo
i-Tree
AJ Sus Section showing street modified for autonomous cars, added planting and water management devices.
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METRICS// Metrics were determined through the program i-Tree
There are many “holes” in this study given the breadth and shortness of time. We were not able to quantify costs nor insert monetary value for removal of greenhouse gases, or for water capture. And students’ work has not been thoroughly checked regarding accuracy.
However, even as a broad brush and speculative exercise, it was evident that this kind of large-scale regional insertion of afforestation into a city can create MAJOR benefits for cities to ADAPT and MITIGATE Global Warming and metrics that confirm this. Individual Student Metrics
Aggregate studio metrics for all four Townships, measuring numbers of added trees, increase of permeable surface area, amount of water retention, particulates captured, CO2 and other GHG captured and financial calculations of energy saved through tree planting. TOTAL SAVING FOR 4 TOWNSHIPS = $206,963,528.09 / year
Section showing street modified for autonomous cars, added planting and water management devices.
14 ASLA LA 2017 MEASURING SUCCESS // 1. Goal Setting for the Profession
What metrics are other related disciplines implementing? • Living Building Challenge: https://living-future.org/lbc/ • 2030 Challenge Adopted by the AIA – All buildings to be Net Zero by 2030
What should we as a profession be targeting? • All projects to be carbon positive by 2050
2. Tracking our Carbon Footprint • SITES/LEED highly climate positive credits Carbon Calculators • LAF Performance Series • USDA’s i-Tree : https://www.itreetools.org/
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITHIN OUR PROFESSION TODAY? //
1. Where we are now as a profession
• Self-appointed “stewards of the landscape” (1966 Declaration) • LAF- Declaration / Creation of Climate Change Action Group (2016) • ASLA results- 50% unconcerned about climate change!(2017) • ASLA New website: “Combating Climate Change with Landscape Architecture” https://www.asla.org/ climatechange. aspx • Set up a specific ASLA Private Practice Network (PPN) on Climate Change? https://www.asla.org/ppn.aspx • ASLA Blue Panel
2. What role should our profession have in the future?
Leadership in advocacy, knowledge and practical applications of climate mitigation, adaptation and resiliency in planning and landscape strategy and design at all scales.
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1. What can we do as individual practitioners?
• Better understand climate change and its effects so to better articulate the issue in our work to clients, neighborhood associations, planners, architects etc. • Better explain how the landscape can function on projects and planning to future-proof the clients’ / city’s developments • Keep up-to-date with technological advancements • Be aware that the procurement of materials do not threaten these precious land-based environments. • We can all do our part in terms of advocating for the protection of our precious landscape ecosystems. • Advocate-support those who are decision-makers through social media and other politically active web-sties • Teach your children well: Become activists: in your family, community, city, nationally • Participate by adding to our collective data-base (LAF) regarding the creation of metrics that support our role as landscape architects in regards to landscape-based technologies and strategies for adaptation and mitigation of climate change • Use whatever pulpit you may have: teaching, practice, lecturing, advocacy etc.
CONCLUSION // WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AS A PROFESSION?
Inform clients and decision makers
• of threats that they will be facing in the near future • of how the landscape can help to mediate the repercussion of climate change as they plan their projects now • to invest in landscape infrastructure to “future proof their projects” • Suggest new landscape-based technologies and practices that can be incorporated into our jobs that will serve the cli- ent as well as help deal with climate change issues specific to a location.
Activate, Participate, Generate Metrics
• Be prepared to make your case using metrics • Look for new opportunities to re-define and add to what we can do as a service- we can generate a new appreciation and NEED for the expertise we have as a profession • Participate in new economies that will be generated through the evolution of technologies as we ramp up our ability to DRAWDOWN CO2
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CONCLUSION // WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AS A PROFESSION?
What are our core strengths that allow us to take leadership in Climate Change action?
• We are integrative thinkers - We are the only profession that can put together the science of climate change, and the land- based technologies that can help solve the clients’ and the environment’s problems. Again, your arguments must contain persuasive metrics in order to show the BENEFITS of your suggestions.
• We generalists and team players who work with many disciplines in order to come up with strategies, plans and physical designs that work on multiple levels.
• We can think BIG and are trained to deal with big scale problems.
• We are creatives: we can imagine things that are not there yet.
• We are communicators: create visualizations in order to tell the story, and we communicate verbally. That’s what we all must do in order to get anything built. These are core skills that we can use to convince people within and outside our profession that climate change is real and also a great opportunity for change.
• Our work is land-based and thus we are particularly useful as a profession because and we already have tools in our toolkit to mitigate, adapt, facilitate, imagine and design the future, communicate through words and images and advocate.
• Because no one else is thinking about how the landscape itself can participate in combating climate change. We must arm ourselves with knowledge. “Some time greening can actually be done by GREEN”, David Foster, Director of Harvard Forest
• We can all do something at many scales, at a personal, professional, and the scale of a homeowner, member of a block, city, state, and country, in any way, no matter how small.
• There is no magic bullet, we have to work on resiliency, adaptation, mitigation and work together.
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CONCLUSION // 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO
1. Use our abilities not just to “do no harm”, but to “do net good”! (understand how much CO2 footprint you are creating and how you can balance your footprint so it is not only net 0 but helps to “DRAWDOWN”.
2. Try to deploy “best mitigation practice” in our projects, teach clients about climate change through presenting scientific- based evidence and metrics in order to illustrate benefits.
3. Do whatever you CAN do at ANY SCALE you can. We must have the flexibility and knowledge to make a contribution at ALL SCALES.
4. Support our local, regional and national leaders who are fighting for legislation that supports our objectives and the goals set forth in the Paris Accord- find their phone number and call them.
5. Look at 350.Org information for vast amounts of climate-related topics as well as political information and what YOU can do to engage politically.
CONCLUSION // SHARED INFORMATION + 10 BOOKS TO READ
“Dire Predictions, 2nd Edition: Understanding Climate Change”. Michael E. Mann, Lee R. Kump If you are going to get one book on climate change this year, this is the one you should get. This is the second edition, updated to reflect the most recent IPCC findings. Amazon Customer “bookworm”
“Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan”, Ever Proposed To Reverse Global Warming, Edited by Paul Hawken
“The Hot Topic: What We Can Do About Global Warming” by Gabrielle Walker and David King. Walker, a contributing editor for New Scientist, and King, chief science advisor at University of Cambridge, team up to explain the science of warming and provide a guide to both the problems and the solutions. They explain fossil fuels, carbon dioxide, the effect on ecosystems and how much more the earth and humans can take before things reach catastrophic levels. Amazon Customer “bookworm”
“Hot, Flat, and Crowded” by Thomas Friedman. Friedman, a New York Times columnist and 3-time Pulitzer Prize winner, explains how global warming, rapid population growth and expansion of the world’s middle class through globalization have produced a planet that is “hot, flat and crowded.” He introduces a national strategy he calls “Geo-Greenism,” which provides solutions to the climate crisis as well as insight to making America a better place. Amazon Customer “bookworm”
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“The Weather Makers: How Man is Changing the Climate and What it means for Life on Earth” by Tim F. Flannery. Paleontologist and mammologist Flannery explains the basics of how the atmosphere works today com- pared to how it has in the past. He hits on topics such as greenhouse gasses and acid rain and calls for action now to prevent further damage. Amazon Customer “bookworm”
“Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” by Jared Diamond. Diamond examines how and why Western civilizations develop technologies and immunities that allow them to dominate the world. He examines what caused the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin. While his approach may not address global warming directly, his discussions on eco-suicide and the climate debate keep the pages turning. Amazon Custom- er “bookworm”
“The Age of Sustainable Development,” by Jeffrey D. Sachs "Comprehensive and positive summary of the steps required for sustainable development with good overviews of the problems causing climate change." --CNN Dan Fowler, from Austin, Texas
“This Changes Everything,” by Naomi Klein." Well researched, compelling arguments, hits home for multiple audiences, and is a realistic call to action." -- Laura S. Lynes, from Canmore, Alberta CNN
“Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming” by Bjorn Lomborg. TIME maga- zine named Lomborg one of the 100 most influential people in the world. A political scientist and economist with a conservative approach to environmentalism, Lomborg has been described as the “bad boy of the climate circus.” Cool It, however, offers a refreshingly independent perspective on the global warming debate. Amazon Customer “bookworm”
“Merchants of Doubt,” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway. "The book, which packages rigorous research in fiery rhetoric, inspired a documentary, 'Merchants of Doubt' ... I highly recommend the book and documentary, which reveal how disturbingly easy it can be for unscrupulous spin-meisters to dupe journalists and the public." John Horgan, of Scientific American
CONCLUSION // SHARED INFORMATION: RECOMMENDED WEBSITES https://350.org – climate focused campaigns, projects and actions led from the bottom –up https://www.climaterealityproject.org - Al Gore’s climate website http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/ https://www.edf.org/ - Environmental Defense Fund http://www.ipcc.ch/ - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – most authoritative body most often cited and quoted - but ultra conservative in their modelling and predictions. http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ - Environmental Protection Agency http://ccsr.columbia.edu/index.html - Columbia University Center for Climate Change Research/ Site whose goal is to provide information that will help governments, industries and citizens prepare for future climate-related prob- lems or to seize opportunities as changes can be rendered more predictable http://www.carbonvisuals.com/ - make data tangible and communications possible
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